The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-12

(9-12.) And Jacob said, 80 God of my ia
Their Abraham, and GoD Of my father Isaac,
o JEHOVAH who saidst to me, Return to thy
land and TO thy kindred, and l will do thee
good; am less than all the mercies and all
the truth which thou hast shown to thy ser
wants for with my staff l passed over this
Jordan and now have become two compan-
ies Deliver me, l pray thee, from the
hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau;
for am in fear of him that he come and
smite me, mother with children. And thou
hast said, Il will surely do thee good, and
make thy seed az the sand of the sea which
cannot be numbered for multitude. In
the vision at Bethel JEHOVAH had said:
81 am the COP of Abraham thy father, and
the GoD of Isaac, the land wherein thou Hest
to thee will give it, and to thy seed: and thy
seed shall be as the dust of the earth !;
And behold l am with thee and will keep thee
whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for will not leave thee
till / have done what have told thee"
xviii. 1916.
The form of Jacobs prayer is in accord
ance with the terms of JEHoyAH's promise.
To escape the vengeance of his brother Esau,
he had left the land of promise alone and
with only his staff for possession. Now be
is returning with large family and great
wealth. He is at ford of the Jordan,
ready to cross aud enter again the land of
his fathers promised inheritance. He is in
mortal fear of his brother whom he had
wronged so many years ago, and who is COM
ing with large company to meet him. GoD
L. 81 H., aTH hiGSEa6 m great
ly beyond desert He had SO far abuDd-
antly fulfilled His promise. Now he pleads
the promise and prays GoD TO deliver him
from the avenging hand of his brother who
may be coming to clay him. He had taken
every precaution both to propitiate his broth
or and to preserve from destruction his fam
lily and his possessions. He felt himself to
be in the position of mother bird protect
ing her brood.
Jacobs prayer did not end in words; he
not only "said his prayer" but he planned
for the attainment of what he so devoutly
and earnestly desired. Or having employed
every available means, he sought GoD's bless
ing upon bis efforts and prayed that He would
give the same abundant success to his anx-
ious endeavors to protect his family and pos
sessions from the threatened destruction,
that He had given to his efforts to possess
them. Prayer that is merely signs and words
is of little worth. True, "prayer is the SOULS
sincere DESIRE" but to be effectual it must
be expressed, not necessarily in words, but in
effort-spiritual or material, Or both, accord
ing to the objects of desire. Effectual prayer
must conform to the Saviour's formula
"Ask, seek, knock" duke xi. 81. Desire
must become active, and active effort mus
be persistent.
The characteristics shrewdness of Jacob ap
pears in his plans to appease the supposed
wrath of Esau, and to protect, in case of at
tack, the best beloved of his family and tn
most valuable of his possessions. (See 1923
xxxiii. l-15). His efforts to ccnciiiate Esal
proved entirely successful, if, indeed, Esau'
wrath had not long abeted, and he came T.
meet his long absent brother without any hos
lille intentions. And so his prayer prevaile'
with Con who sustained and strengthened hi
heart.